DE 10 2010 041 791 A1 discloses a vehicle component with a joint holder that comprises a connection area in which a recess is provided, a connecting element extending longitudinally with an axial end area that engages in the recess of the connection area and extends in the direction of its longitudinal axis away from it, which has a substantially constant cross-section over its entire length and is secured in the connection area against any displacement in the direction of its longitudinal axis, such that, moreover, the connecting element is secured in an interlocked manner against any twisting about its longitudinal axis. The connecting element is made of metal, while in contrast the joint holder is made of plastic. Furthermore, in the joint holder an inner joint component is fitted and able to move. In addition another axial end area of the connecting element is connected to another joint holder in which another inner joint component is fitted and able to move, wherein the joint holders are designed in the same way and are connected to the connecting element in the same manner, the connecting element being in the form of a U-section.
An example of a use for such a vehicle component is a control arm or a pendulum support in the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle. Since the connecting element is made of a material different from that of the joint holders, such a vehicle component is also called a hybrid control arm or hybrid pendulum support.
Hybrid control arms and hybrid pendulum supports as a rule consist of plastic-metal connectors, which are made using a plastic injection-molding process. The joint housings consist of plastic heads connected to one another by a connecting element which is not made of plastic but, for example, metal. The known basic geometries of the connecting element are, among others, a round rod and a U-section. To produce the plastic heads, the connecting element is placed in a plastic injection-molding die and plastic is injection-molded around it. During this the connecting element has to be sealed relative to the injection-molding cavity of the injection-molding die. As a rule the injection-molding die has two mutually perpendicular main mold-extraction directions. If the connecting element is not rotationally symmetrical but for example a U-section, problems can arise in connection with the sealing in the injection-molding die. Particularly if the rotational angle of the plastic heads relative to one another differs from 0° or 180°, the sealing of the connecting element in the injection molding die is problematic, so that it may be necessary to insert an oblique slider that can move obliquely relative to the main mold-extraction directions. However, the provision of an oblique slider is complicated and entails relatively high costs. To circumvent this problem it is conceivable to use a round rod as the connecting element. But compared with a hollow section, a round rod is relatively heavy and this is undesirable.